The VW camper is back in electric form as the ID. Buzz, and Hankook Tire says it is supplying tyres for models delivered with optional high-spec wheels. Volkswagen has also approved Hankook tyres as original equipment in the standard size worn by the ID. Buzz Cargo.
Master Class of Racing (MCoR) is a new and – according to its promoter – “industry-changing” race series in the USA. The stated main goal of MCoR is to “offer sprint racing and a fantastic short format endurance racing at a cost that makes sense for teams and more critically, the drivers.” All of these drivers will compete on Hankook tyres.
Hankook has continued the expansion of its original equipment portfolio for electric vehicles (EV). The manufacturer will supply the electric Škoda Enyaq iV with Ventus S1 evo 3 ev tyres specially developed for electric cars. The partnership follows Hankook’s existing OE deal with the Volkswagen Group to supply the same tyres to the Volkswagen ID.4. Depending on the model variant of Škoda’s first electric SUV, sizes 18 to 20 inches are available. Hankook joins Bridgestone in supplying the Enyaq iV, with the latter offering its Enliten Technology enabled Turanza Eco, Tyrepress sister site WhatTyre’s Eco Tyre of the Year 2022.
Bridgestone’s newest ultra-high performance tyre, the Potenza Sport offered the best results in wet and dry performance in the latest Auto Express tyre test. The tyre was able to make the most of its home field advantage as the magazine used Bridgestone’s Aprilla proving ground, just besting Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 by 0.5 per cent. Another notable result was the third-place finish of the Maxxis Victra Sport 5, which adds to a growing list of test successes proving that the brand is increasingly able to hold its own against the traditional premium brands. The test was conducted on the biggest selling 18” tyre size, 225/40R18 92Y. This UHP tyre test of seven products was split from the “UUHP mini test” of three of the highest-performing road tyre products, won by the new Continental SportContact 7. For the UHP test, Auto Express weighted its results to reflect UK driving needs: wet tests counted for 50 per cent of the final mark, dry 40 per cent, and the remaining 10 per cent on noise, fuel economy and price.
Hankook Tire has expanded the portfolio of original equipment products it supplies to electric vehicles with tyres for two new Audi models, the Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron. These compact SUVs will leave the factory on Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 ev tyres. Depending on model and equipment level, Audi will fit the Hankook tyre in 19- to 21-inch dimensions.
Hankook Tyre UK was the headline sponsor of the Auto Express New Car Awards 2022, presented in London on 5 July. Car manufacturers competed across 27 categories to be nominated as best in class, while the electric Nissan Ariya was made the overall winner. Hankook has launched a new brand for electric car tyres, iON, with a Ventus iON summer tyre and a Winter i*cept iON winter tyre already announced. The tyre maker was also presented with three Auto Express Product of the Year Awards in May, winning the summer (Ventus S1 evo 3) and all-season (Kinergy 4S 2) categories.
Hankook says the Ventus S1 Evo Z marks a new era in its high-end-tyre portfolio, streamlined for highly demanding sportscars. The manufacturer focused on delivering high grip in different weather conditions, developing a new silica enriched compound mixture with the latest generation of functional polymers, technology originating from its racing tyre development. This compound undergoes a slower curing process with low temperature vulcanisation to increase the blending of those molecules that then influences the driving performance. This ensures a consistently high level of grip across a wide range of applications and the result is a tread compound which is bespoke for sports cars of premium manufacturers, representing the top of their range.
It is the ‘MO’ label on the sidewall that Hankook Tire is particularly proud of. The two letters stand for ‘Mercedes Original’, and only tyres that match strict quality criteria are approved as original equipment for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. These letters appear on the sides of three Hankook tyre models that Mercedes-Benz fits on the S-Class, continuing a supply arrangement that began almost a decade ago.
Hankook has won three more original equipment tyre fitments from the Volkswagen Group. It is supplying its ultra-high performance Ventus S1 evo 3 to the Golf GTI und Golf R, while the Tiguan R will roll on either the Ventus S1 evo 2 SUV or evo 3 SUV. The sporty variants of each VW model will benefit from the tyre manufacturer’s flagship UHP tyre technologies, with the Golfs running on 235/35R19 91Y tyres, and the Tiguan R SUV rolling on either the 255/40R20 101Y XL S1 evo 2 SUV, or the 255/35R21 98Y XL S1 evo 3 SUV variants.
Introducing its 2022 summer tyre comparative test, Auto Bild Allrad comments that SUV tyres really can “make a noticeable hole in the household budget.” – but motorists can nevertheless save money by choosing the right tyre.
Hankook will supply its Ventus Race tyre to the W Series for the third season in 2022, beginning 6-8 May in Miami, USA. The world’s only all-female single-seater series will race on Hankook tyres at eight Formula 1 weekends. The tyre manufacturer has partnered the series since its inaugural season in 2019. Hankook says the series demonstrates its motorsport philosophy of providing targeted support to motor racing drivers – in the case of W Series, this means the opportunity for female racers to gather experience in a professional environment at some historic circuits. It says the consistency and predictability of the Ventus Race, as well as its own support, are a key factor in drivers’ development processes.
After a Covid-enforced delay, Auto Express has published its 2021 Summer Tyre Test, with Hankook leading a list of nine top tyre brands. Each of the nine tyres displayed strengths in at least one of the test segments. The UK magazine used Continental’s Contidrom proving ground near Hanover in Germany to conduct its objective performance tests, enlisting the help of a local independent tyre tester to get around travel restrictions in the country before verifying the results. The problems of testing tyres in Europe with rules around travel in flux also affected the way Auto Express was able to get tyres to the proving ground; rather than acquire tyres on the open market, it asked manufacturers to send sets, verifying the test-topping tyres against regular production models after the fact. The magazine used the size 225/45 R17, as it had previously in 2018 – a very popular UK size for compact to medium-sized family cars, and in this case one fitted to the tyre test mainstay Volkswagen Golf.
Hankook is supplying its new Ventus S1 evo Z ultra-ultra-high performance tyres for the new Porsche Panamera in 19 and 20-inch variants. The tyre-maker extensively tested the tyre at maximum speed on the Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack, a popular proving ground for sporty handling and longevity. “The Porsche Panamera is a high performing four-passenger sports car with outstanding comfort,” says Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe. “As such, we are very pleased to be the first to equip this model, as it shows that our products are extremely competitive even in the high-end segment. Additional tyres for future Porsche models are already in development at Hankook.” The tyre made its debut on the Mini John Cooper Works GP in late 2020.
Hankook has expanded its involvement in motorsport with the news that it is to be the new and exclusive tyre supplier to various European TCR series, which it will supply with the high-end Ventus Race tyre from this season. Hankook has supported TCR formats with great success in the past and, this year, TCR Europe enters its sixth season and will start on Hankook race tyres in seven different European countries.
We’ll have to wait another fortnight to learn the winner of this year’s Auto Bild summer tyre test, but the motoring magazine has let the names of the finalists out of the bag. Of the more than 50 tyre brands that Auto Bild looked at – this year in size 205/55 R16 91V – just 20 remain for further, more intensive testing following the qualifying round. Hankook’s candidate tops the shortlist after achieving the best stopping distances in both the wet and dry braking tests.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
Hankook
Bridgestone
Hankook
Hankook
Hankook
Drew Gibson